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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27392011">Between dream and magic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurtowa/pseuds/Kurtowa'>Kurtowa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crime, F/M, Harry!Auror, Modern AU, Muggle world, Mystery, No corona AU, Romance, Slice of Life, Thriller, a bit of angst???, a lot of Vonnegut references, draco!healer, hannah!healer, i mean it's 2020, neville!auror, not so good english but i tried, ron!auror, translation from Polish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:23:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,646</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27392011</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurtowa/pseuds/Kurtowa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Neville Longbottom no longer knows what he really wants from life. He has a good job, although personally he is not very fond of it. His relationship with Hanna Abbott is also not the most successful. However, he is afraid to change his life, because he has already got used to this bizarre routine. The main thing is that he has money, and also a woman by his side, right?</p><p>His life changes dramatically when magic children begin to disappear under mysterious circumstances. Neville must forget about past traumas and renew old acquaintances.<br/>There are also completely new people who can greatly influence his perception of the world around him. And especially one specific Muggle woman ...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Hannah Abbott/Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom/OC</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Between dream and magic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This work is hundred times better in my native language, but I'm trying to find some new readers. Also, this is pretty good preparation for my exams ;)<br/> I hope you'll enjoy this story! I will be very glad if you leave a comment!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>─────────────</p><p><em>We fight every night for something </em><br/><em>When the sun sets we're both the same</em><br/><em>Half in the shadows </em><br/><em>Half burned in flames </em><br/><em>We can't go back for nothin' </em><br/><em>Take what you need say your goodbyes </em><br/><em>I gave you everything </em><br/><em>And it's a beautiful crime</em> <em>.</em></p><p>Tamer - Beautiful Crime</p><p>─────────────</p><h1 class="quoteText">“All this happened, more or less.”</h1><p>─────────────</p><p>
  <em>There is a place in the world where dream meets magic. I know this because I live in such place. Some people will probably think that this is a magical, unreal land, almost a Primeval*...</em>
  <br/>
  <em>But no. This place turned out to be dirty, rainy London. My home. The only city where I feel good, even if I don't like it very much.</em>
  <br/>
  <em>This is where wizards and Muggles live together, although one world does not even know the other exists. Is it fair? Of course not. But it is probably better not to know about some things for the sake of peace...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>─────────────</em>
</p><p>  The autumn rain meant that all the colorful and charming views straight from Muggle wallpapers for smartphones became nothing but bland and repulsive slush. Leaves that had already fallen off the trees were scattered all over the park, only unnecessarily obscuring the pavement made of - and so in all colors combined with the ubiquitous gray - paving stones. The consistency of the leaves resembled (although it might seem a rather abstract comparison) cereal flakes dipped in milk for too long. The thought only reminded the young Auror that he hadn't eaten anything since this morning. He did not have time. He woke up with a stomach ache and couldn't even shove a bite into himself. After all, it was necessary to eat anything, so Neville decided to choose the lesser evil and ordered something junk on the way to work. He was well aware of the harmfulness of such solutions, but it was still stronger than he was. He wanted to be at least a little productive that day, and on an empty stomach, he wouldn't get it.</p><p>Unfortunately, he did not manage to finish this meal due to the rush. Well, who needs a job at such an early hour? How many things could he still do if he didn't have to be so quickly at the Auror's Office! Maybe at least he would finally get a good night's sleep ...</p><p>Neville stepped into a messy office full of papers strewn in the corners. He managed to get there ahead of schedule, so there was no one there. Anyway, he never expected crowds in this place. He shared his workplace with only two other Aurors and one of them had not appeared at work for more than six months. One day he quit and was lost to hearing. But will there ever be a replacement? Neville was beginning to doubt it genuinely. People apparently stopped dreaming of saving the world from evil. Well, for the quiet Longbottom, that wasn't a dream job either. He did it because he had no other idea for himself.</p><p>He looked around the office and couldn't understand how he could find himself in this completely unnecessary place. After all, it would be a good idea to clean it up properly, although somehow it happened that no one ever had the strength to do it. Or rather willingness. Because who would like to deal voluntarily with someone else's mess?<br/>The boy with one movement of his wand moved aside a pile of papers he needed yesterday, and then he turned his eyes towards the almost wasted fern standing right next to one of the desks.</p><p>"Ah, how can you neglect a poor thing like that?" He muttered to himself and shook his head in disbelief. He hoped that at this moment a short <em>aguamenti</em> would at least slightly improve her miserable situation. He would have to come back to the office with the proper supplies. He was going to write it down on the calendar. "Why didn't I see you before?"</p><p>Neville has always preferred plants. They were completely different from humans ... Easier to read and much more loyal. If it turned out to be at least a little love and care for them, they would repay them with a beautiful flower, which was always nice to look at. And the people? They often hurt in return. Can you really be sure that someone deserves goodness? He asked himself that question way too often, and he knew he should finally stop living this kind of reflection. Life was too short for that.</p><p>When he finished the rescue operation, he returned to the desk and started to finish the hot dog tip that had just been put away. But before Neville could fully lick the ketchup on his wrist, he heard his friend's voice. The Auror wiped his sauce-stained mouth with a handkerchief and glanced at the redhead, Ron Weasley, entering the office.</p><p>"Well well! Are you again eating the hot dog in the morning? I didn't think Hanna was feeding you that badly!" He laughed, not wanting to play with traditional greetings, then hung his coat on the hanger by the door.</p><p>"Wow, you're ahead of time! I was afraid you would be late as usual!" Neville replied, smiling at his friend. "No, stop exaggerationing. I just wasn't hungry today, and someone said that you're working more efficiently when your stomach is full. Well, in my opinion it doesn't matter what it is filled with."</p><p>"I suspect that in that case we have completely different definitions of breakfast... But if you like to stuff your body with some rubbish from the morning, then go ahead."</p><p>Neville laughed at Ron's slightly nervous reply. Has his friend got up with his left foot today?</p><p>"Oh, don't be nervous. You perfectly know that I'm really envy that Hermione makes you these healthy sandwiches and salads every morning. If I had time for it, I would do it myself!" He replied, finishing his meal, then getting up to throw the handkerchief into the rubbish bin in the corner of the room.</p><p>Ron, hearing Neville's comment, just rolled his eyes and started cleaning up the papers on the desk. As usual, he had left a mess on it the day before, which meant he had even more work to do this morning...<br/>Besides, Weasley did not like anyone mentioning his healthy diet. Due to the fact that he had gained a few kilograms, he had to give up his favorite snacks, and because of his work, he wanted to get back into shape as soon as possible. He wasn't taking all those exams and now being fired by too big belly! His wife really bothered him and kept counting the calories eaten by him. Well, fortunately she didn't know about the bars he was eating, which he usually kept in his desk drawer ... Willingly, but Ron really didn't want to give up on literally everything.</p><p>Neville, seeing his friend's reaction to the mockery, decided to get down to work. He knew that it would be a shame to waste time on stupid things, because they had a lot of papers to fill and organize...</p><p>"What do you think we're going to do today? Because I hope something interesting will happen eventually" Ron muttered, wanting in any way to break the silence that had suddenly arisen for several minutes between them. "I'm sick of the usual paperwork. I'm waiting for something big!"</p><p>Longbottom sighed deeply, unable to believe that his friend would say something equally irrational. Although he was well aware that Ron was bored very quickly with the routine, he was completely unable to understand it.</p><p>"Don't talk so much, or you'll still be going and we'll really have to witness some cruelty. Are you really that bothered by peace? I'd rather sign papers than walk around the dissecting room."</p><p>"Bullshit. You're just going to be silly looking at Lauren after the last puke in the hallway."</p><p>Neville remembered the situation and immediately a scarlet blush crept across his face. He had already forgotten about this compromising event, and now these emotions returned to him with redoubled strength, which made him feel even worse. It was supposed to be a natural reaction for his body, because the examined body looked really ugly, but the very fact that he acted like a juvenile just beginning to learn medicine turned out to be the worst for him. After all, he was a serious Auror who had been working in the profession for several years... And it was even more frustrating for Neville that Ron was then busy finishing his lettuce and tomato sandwich ...</p><p>"Ah, shut up. I'm going to get myself a drink and hope you get smarter before I get back”he replied, rising from his office chair.</p><p>He was going to make himself a cup of tea, which he might be able to warm up a little. It is true that he loved black, strong coffee the most, but this time he decided to choose the lesser evil. Especially since the weather outside was not the most pleasant, and Neville couldn't even imagine drinking anything other than tea in late fall - even if she couldn't make up for his (quite high) daily caffeine requirement.</p><p>"Oh, I see you are changing the subject!!" Ron laughed, enjoying his little victory in the discussion.</p><p>Longbottom merely rolled his eyes in response, then made his way to the office kitchen corner. He was so sick of talking about his emotionally sensitive stomach! Although he was internally glad that Weasley did not know exactly how many times Neville had experienced such moments of weakness in his life ...</p><p>
  <em>No more hot dogs - from today I will only take light items to work. I must start making healthy sandwiches...</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>─────────────</em>
</p><p>*Primeval <em>─ </em>magical village from book<em> Prawiek i inne czasy</em> (<em>Primeval and Other Times</em>) by Polish Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk</p>
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